The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-09-08
SPIRITS ANp Lrouors.

Ohe Wlplng out OF the entire Internal revenue
TAX. AS he has not yet denied that paper
speaks with his authority. 1t can be safely as
sumed that he IL in favor OF taking all taxes
from Whiskey and tobacco. II he disaErees
with his organ, he ahould at once speak out
and let the fact be Known.
In both of these propositions. in continuing
an unnecessary revenue, and in making whisky
bear no tax, the Republicans of Ohio are stand
ing almost alone. 1t is position condemned
by their leading candidate for President,
James g. Blaine. In letter dated November
~ 1883, written to Charles Emory Smith, he
says, in speaking OF continuing redundancy
OF national revenues "Thls is opposed to all
sound views Of administration. The govern.
ment wants just enough revenue. redun-
dancy always leads to extravaganza, to many
forms OF corruption, and to all manner Of
schemes for getting rid of the money" "The
time is rapidly approaching, however, when
by the terms in which the national debt is
funded the payment OF the remainder must of
necessity be postponed for years. This brings
us TO the necessity Of reducing the national
revenue. The present system of taxation is
yielding more than hundred millions beyond
Jhe amount required for the ordinary expenses
OF government. Its reduction lOiu soon become an
imperative duty." Again, in the same letter
upon the proposition to keep up an oppressive
system Of taxation, and let spirits go free he
says:
That would be a folly which no
other government in the world could
by any possibility, commit The tax on
spirits oppresses no one. 1t is paid only by the
consumer" So faras the question OF disposlng
OF redundant revenue and taxing spirits are
hSo fa4 70
tion. The experience of the civilized nations
of the world is that no two articles can so well
and safely bear taxation as spirits and tobacco.
Again in the national platform of 1872 the Re-
publican party expressly declared that the tax
upon tobacco aud liquors should be retained as
well as deriving revenue upon importations.
THE DIFFERENCE BETwEEE THE DEMOCRATIC
AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES IN OHIO
Upon the question is not only wide but clearly
marked We believe the surplus now In the
treasury should be applied to extinguishing
the national debt or as soon as it can be done.
We believe that hereafter no surplus should be
permitted to accumulate; but taxation so re-
duced as to raise no more money than the gov
ernment requires. We believe the present
tariff system is both unequal and unjust In its
operations. We are In favor OF having 1t
thoroughly revised and. honestly reformed.
We are in favor OF having 1t SO reduced that
the revenue derived from it will not be more
than sufficient to meet the expenses of the
government the payment of the interest and
principal of the public debt and pensions,
which we have heretofore or may hereafter
grantto Union soldiers and sailors and their
dependent relatives. We further favor max
ing this reduction upon
ARTICLES OF NECESSITY,
And which enter into general consumption, in
stead of luxuries. OF course 1t will be impos-
sible to enter into the details OF this question
In general speech covering a number of sub
jects but In the course of the campaign 1t will be
thoroughly discussed in all its details, as 1t is
subject which demands and will receive large
attention. wish to say however, thatwe not
only favor what have already stated, but we
demand that the reduction proposed shall be
taken off from food, clothing and articles con-
sumed by every family instead of spirits and
liquors.
OUR GREATNESS.
Another proposition is undoubtedly true that
under such system as we propose the devel-
opment of our vast resources will greatly in
crease. We are now the largest agricultural
and manufacturing nation in the world, while
in the sum OF all industries we are ahead Of
all other nations In 1880, our manufactured
products exceeded Great Britain by 65O,000,0OO,
We have the largest supplies of raw material
in the world; we have the cheapest fuel in
our exhaustless supplies OF cheap coal; we
have the best machinery and the most intelll-
gent labor upon the earth we have all the
conditions necessary to give us the supremacy
as manufacturing people. Our own market
is not only fully supplied, but we have large
and rapidly increasing surplus Of products end
manufactures which to be sold must md
foreign market. A reduction OF the tariff as
proposed would assist largely in removing the
barriers which now prevent or hinder the sale
of our surplus products in foreign markets.
Their removal will set capital In motion by the
promise of better returns, enlarge the steady
employment and increase the wages OF laborers,
and thus difuse general prosperity.
THE LAND QUESTION.
By another resolution, the republican party
at Toledo, declared, "that the public lands
of the United States should be sacredly held
for the use and benefit of actual settlers
alone"
This, means when applied to actual facts,
that they condemn the entire record of the
republican party while they were in control
of national affairs, and approve the admins
tration of President Cleveland and that of
every other Democratic administration which
preceded him. Until the republican party
came into power not one acre of the public
lands had ever been granted to railroads or
other corporations.
The Republican party inaugurated
a new policy and it was kept up
by that party until we find that
in round numbers 2OO,OOO,O 900 acres of the
public domaia had been granted to railroad
corporations. 1t is difficult to give any ade-
quate idea of this vast extent of territory.
1t can only be done by comparison. 1t is
equal to nearly three times the size of Great
Britain and Ireland. 1t is equal to seven
states like Pennsylvania, or to eight states
like Ohio. You could carve out of it 4,000,-
600 Of farms Of fifty acres each, and give
one to each man, woman and child in the en-
tire State Of Ohio. Upon this system Of
vast land grants was given up the large hold
ings Of real estate by other corporations,
syndicates and aliens, which the same
resolution with equal propriety now
condemns After these grants had
been made, many of the railroad